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Recently, Zhang, a new employee at a company in Nanjing, was asked to resign for not greeting the group’s chairman when he met him in the elevator. The company’s chairman said that he took the initiative to speak to Xiao Zhang, but Xiao Zhang responded in a cold manner; based on this, he concluded that Xiao Zhang had \"problems with thinking and was not suitable for working in the futures industry.\" Have you and your colleagues had similar experiences? What’s your opinion on this dismissal caused by the employee’s lack of courtesy? How should one determine the right tone when greeting a supervisor? That shifty yet genius-like \"inspiration\" – Hani, the administrative manager – bringing with him his renowned reputation from across the ocean, our company opened a branch in Shanghai six months ago; the media coverage at that time was absolutely intense! But later, business remained sluggish, and a major safety accident occurred. Thus, in less than half a year, the once confident president of the Shanghai branch experienced subtle changes. Although his position remained the same, he was given an additional role as vice president for strategic development at the Chinese headquarters. Not only was his office moved – from the premium river-view office in the Shanghai branch building to a small, windowless room in the headquarters building in Shanghai, surrounded by numerous other vice presidents – but his authority also began to diminish. Most people in the workplace are snobbish; over time, everyone began to pay little attention to this nominal president who was able to remain in his position temporarily thanks to the rule of providing a one-year transition period before dismissing senior executives. A few days ago, the boss, who had not been seen for a long time, returned to the branch office for a meeting. I happened to meet him in the elevator along with another colleague; I was about to say hello when my colleague called out loudly, \"President Zhang, what brings you here?\" ” In that instant, that tiny space of just three or four cubic meters suddenly became as cold as a freezer; the hot air emitted by the central air conditioning system seemed on the verge of dropping below freezing point and solidifying on the spot. I could sense the resentment that had accumulated in the president’s heart over months pouring out continuously, and I, as an awkward witness, was likely to not escape unscathed either. Just as I was racking my brains for something to say to break the silence, President Zhang cleared his throat twice; his face, which had clearly shown signs of aging over the months, forced out a semblance of smile: \"I’m still the president here!\" ” Just then, with a \"ding\" sound, the elevator arrived at its stop, and President Zhang stepped out at just the right moment, leaving us looking at each other in surprise: \"It’s good he’s gone; otherwise, would we have had to nod our heads in response to those words filled with mixed emotions as well?\" ”Ugh, it’s really too awful! Although he’s a former president, even a thin camel is still bigger than a horse. What if he gets upset and secretly puts drugs in something; we might die without even knowing why. Colleagues who are so reckless are truly the worst, but I myself also feel embarrassed and at a loss. Just take yesterday as an example: when I went into the elevator at work, I saw the finance director standing right in front of me. I called out in what I thought was a clear and enthusiastic voice, “Good morning, Director Li!” ”However, she was turned away from me and didn’t notice at all; a few strangers around us glanced at me, seeming to find it strange that I was talking to the air. I was at a loss for a moment, thinking to myself, “Should I raise my voice and shout again?” Or pretend not to notice and ignore it? But we’ll be leaving on the same floor in a bit; if I wait until then to say hello, won’t that show even more that I lack common sense? ” Before I could think further, the elevator arrived at the floor amidst my internal struggle. The director strode out with his head held high, and in that moment, an idea struck me: “Don’t go down!” Take it to the next stop, then ‘change trains’ to get back! ”In retrospect, I’m ashamed of myself as well. The hierarchical structure in the workplace acts like shackles that torment us, leaving us with nothing but an obsession with power and status. \"Working for a ruler is like working with a tiger.\" My so-called creativity is nothing but vulgar and genius-level at best. Say whatever you think the leader wants to hear. Tian Guoxin, freelancer. I used to work in a news organization where both leaders and subordinates were intellectuals; so it didn’t matter if you were a bit casual when addressing your leaders. Since I started a shell company, just giving a casual greeting no longer works. As the saying goes: Sing the song appropriate to the mountain you are on. To keep my \"shell company\" from going bankrupt, I was forced to learn a new way of greeting my superiors, which was to say different things depending on whom I was meeting. At first, I didn’t understand my place; when I went to various companies to discuss business matters, I acted too familiarly with the managers. That was okay once or twice, but once they found out that I was no longer working at my previous company, their attitude changed. They would often refuse to answer my calls or claim to be unavailable when I visited them. I either ended up being rejected or treated like an annoying old woman. Soon, a friend advised me: You’re no longer part of a news organization, so those advantages you once had are no longer there. You need to change the way you address your supervisors; otherwise, your small company will surely go bankrupt. I asked him how to change A friend said, “Say what’s appropriate depending on the leader you’re meeting; you need to know how to adjust your behavior according to the person.” ” This trick really works. Once, I had a business deal that could only take effect once Mr. Ma from that company signed the contract. My sales staff went there several times, but Mr. Ma said he didn’t have time. I heard that President Ma enjoys studying ancient poems, so I thought of a way to greet him. When I went to President Ma’s office that day, it was almost time to leave work. President Ma was chatting casually with his subordinates, so I stepped forward to greet him: Are you still as energetic as ever? Upon hearing this, President Ma immediately smiled: Oh no, no, I no longer have such ambitious aspirations to reach great distances. Then, President Ma invited me into his office, talked with me for a while about classical poetry, and soon signed the contract. Another time, I had to meet Mr. Liu from a company in the same industry. This Mr. Liu thought he was the top figure in his field and didn’t take our small company seriously at all. I heard that he likes to say rhymes, so I came up with a few rhymes to take to see him. As soon as we met, I greeted President Liu with a rhyme: In the past, Uncle Liu visited Zhuge’s hut three times; today, someone from President Liu’s team shows up without even greeting first. As soon as President Liu heard this, he became very enthusiastic toward me. “Say what the leader wants to hear” helps to bridge the gap with them. The employees avoid you; the manager should reflect on this. Archie, the CFO: in my first year at work, I used to greet everyone I met. One day, I saw the manager and greeted him warmly, but to my surprise, he didn’t even lift his eyes toward me; he walked past me arrogantly, which left me feeling very embarrassed. Since then, I have developed a psychological barrier; whenever I see my supervisor from afar, I want to avoid them. A year later, I changed jobs. One day, I went to the office upstairs to see someone, and from a distance I saw the director. The director called out to me loudly; I pretended not to hear and tried to slip away, but the director came over to me and greeted me warmly, leaving me embarrassed once again and thinking that things were now ruined. Not wanting the director to say cheerfully, “Probably deep in thought about something, huh?” ”His words immediately relieved my psychological burden. Suddenly, he seemed more approachable, and his \"leadership phobia\" – the fear of leaders and the tendency to avoid them at all costs – also disappeared. I think a leader shouldn’t make a fuss over subordinates not greeting them, let alone raise this issue to the level of whether their work is satisfactory. When subordinates fail to greet their leaders proactively, the leader should first consider whether there is anything wrong with their own behavior Do I hold a position of power over them, making them feel afraid? I think that with a kind and pleasant leader, subordinates generally won’t try to avoid him, and there won’t be situations where you greet him and he ignores you. Secondly, if a subordinate truly has more arrogance than you do, don’t rush to conclude that they have a problem with their way of thinking. When I was a leader, once on the road I encountered a subordinate who, upon seeing me, acted as if he didn’t see me at all; he walked past me with great arrogance. I found it strange; I thought I was usually a pretty approachable person with good relationships with my subordinates, so why was she ignoring me? Are you feeling upset, or lost in thought while walking? Later, I joked with her, “You must walk with your eyes straight ahead, all serious, right?” ”Upon hearing this, she laughed and said, “I have severe myopia, so I’m always very careful when walking on the road.” ”Only then did I realize – she wasn’t ignoring me on purpose; she just didn’t see me. In life, there are various reasons for “turning a blind eye.” “Those with truly \"problems with thinking\" are absolutely very few. Leaders and employees should be equal in terms of etiquette; only through equality and mutual respect can a harmonious working atmosphere be achieved. To be a leader, one must have the capacity to tolerate others; if employees don’t greet you or ignore you, are there any objective reasons for that? Leaders need to understand these things and reflect on them. The fear of being a “minority” – Tong Xin, company employee. Many years ago, when I was still in middle school, I heard my parents talk about greeting their supervisors. It is said that the father rode his bicycle past his boss without noticing him, and as a result the boss called out to him first. As a result, Dad was regarded as an arrogant person; the leader mentioned on several occasions in meetings that if some people didn’t greet them, did it mean they didn’t take the leader seriously? Dad was very upset. In this world, there are all kinds of leaders, as well as all kinds of subordinates. Some leaders aren’t arrogant; they don’t hit unless necessary – they’re not some emperor or something ； Some leaders are able to consider things from the employees’ perspective; maybe Xiao Wang had an urgent matter today and didn’t see me ； Some leaders care about their image in the eyes of others; why don’t they greet me? ! They definitely don’t take me seriously! Leaders are the ones who provide you with food and shelter; what the leaders say is always right, and whatever they ask you to do, you must do it. So for some leaders, you must show respect and flattery. Some subordinates are so afraid of seeing their bosses that they prefer to stay far away, so as not to cause me trouble ； Some subordinates are afraid of not seeing their boss, as otherwise they won’t have any chance to get the boss to know me ； Some subordinates are misunderstood by their leaders, and can only watch helplessly as that misunderstanding persists ； Some subordinates will quickly go to their supervisors and use flattery to not only resolve the misunderstanding but also strengthen the trust between them. Normally the boss is always in a position of authority, but one day he ended up in the same elevator as me. Good heavens, what topic should I use to start a conversation? What does this leader like? His eyes are looking up; does he not recognize me? God, please let the Nth level arrive soon—most ordinary people fear their leaders; this is a result of thousands of years of cultural tradition. The best solution is: Sir, you look great today; your bag really complements your coat – it’s perfect. You seem even more energetic than usual... The boss’s sense of self-respect is amplified. Xu Rui’e, media editor. The Spring Festival is a happy time for most people, but Xiao Zhang in Nanjing was asked by his company to resign before the festival. Despite his efforts, he still couldn’t keep his job. It all started one day in December 2008, when Xiao Zhang met an elderly man in the elevator after finishing his evening shift. The old man politely asked which company he worked for Xiao Zhang glanced at him but ignored him. The old man asked him again, and only then did he say it was a futures company, asking in return, \"Is there something wrong?\" Only afterwards did Xiao Zhang learn that the old man was the chairman of the group company. So, for the following month, Xiao Zhang lived in constant fear, just like Cheryakov in \"The Death of a Small Civil Servant\". The difference is that the general in the novel had long forgotten that Chervyakov had sneezed and gotten spit on him, while Zhang’s company chairman kept holding that matter against him, eventually costing him his job. The chairman’s reason for asking Xiao Zhang to resign was simple: “His qualifications are poor; he is not suitable for working in the futures industry.” Upon analysis, Xiao Zhang may not be very outgoing; he is clearly not suitable for jobs in sales or public relations. However, working in the futures industry actually does not require a personality that thrives on talking to strangers. In fact, Xiao Zhang’s performance is on par with that of his colleagues who joined the company around the same time, so this reason doesn’t hold up. The reason why, even after a month, the big boss still refused to forgive Xiao Zhang, who kept apologizing, was his excessive pride – due to his high position, he rarely experienced rejection, so even minor slights were exaggerated to an extreme degree, making it difficult for him to let it go. When it comes to qualities, a boss’s qualities should be higher than those of ordinary employees; at the very least, they should possess an open-minded attitude. Talents come in many forms; they have different personalities, and one should not judge everything based on whether it suits one’s own preferences. Take Xiao Zhang’s case for example; although he was a bit impolite to the old man, given the general wariness toward strangers in society today, it is not unforgivable that Xiao Zhang did not respond positively to the greeting. However, in recent years, the supply of talent has always exceeded demand. As a result, the labor side* is accustomed to accepting one-sided choices from the employer side, while job seekers constantly try to meet the requirements of the recruiters in every way. As a result, employees become submissive on the surface, but their hearts drift apart from the management. Apart from salaries and benefits, employers have no other means to retain employees. Since that chairman was able to greet a young person with kindness, he surely isn’t a person with a dark personality. If only he could be more tolerant, he would definitely make a good boss. If God can forgive young people who make mistakes, why can’t a boss?